Cheaters never... Never mind
by Gabriel-San
Summary: Princess Fernypoo and Capara involved? It might happen. Flip the cards and read their future. Episode 5: Going home. And all the baggage that comes along...
1. The Princess and the peasant

Now I'm sure you must be asking yourself a few questions right now. Like, what in the hell are NeoPets, or why in the name of all that's good and decent have I written this? If you're here in this section and reading it then I'm guessing you at least know a little something about NeoPets, so the first question needs no answer. However, as to why I wrote this, well, it's just what I do. I made this just because. I write shoujo-ai/FemmeSlash stories, and I like to think I'm fairly good at it. I know I took quite a few liberties with Capara, but she just struck me as a strong, masculine leaning type. Plus throughout the entire "Brucy B and the lucky coin" thing she looked like she was wearing a leather jacket and jeans. Why a chaptered story you might now ask? Simple, because I've got a lot to work on and I don't feel like making it all one big clump. Besides, if I do it chapter by chapter then I'll be freer to be detailed to keep people interested.

Disclaimer: All characters, places, and whatnot belong to NeoPets.com, not me. I did the story and nothing but. Please don't hurt me or sue me, I am making no money off of this at all, I swear. I am making no copyright claims and am just using the characters for the purposes of fun and entertainment, not profit.

What do you think? Write to me at DeMachina@cs.com Flamers: Give it a rest, will ya? MSTers: It might be interesting to see the first-ever MSTed NeoPets story. Regular comments: Sure thing!

**Cheaters never... Never mind...**

**Episode 1: The princess and the peasant**

**By: Gabriel**

"You're cheating, Timmy. Show 'em."

Capara smiled inwardly, giving herself a moment of joy. She knew she had the rotten little tuskaninny. Playing three aces on his last hand when she had one. It wasn't much of a gamble to call him on it. She'd finally beat him at Cheat.

"Sorry, Capara. Three aces." Little Timmy showed off the last three cards in his hand. The ace of spades, clubs, and diamonds.

Capara snarled softly as the pile was shoved her way, even though the game was over. She tossed down the last card she held, the ace of hearts, and stormed away from the table, leaving the others to mutter about how she was a sore loser.

_"So what if I'm a sore loser?_" Capara thought as she removed all the make-up she wore during competition, and all the costume jewelry as well. "_I have a right to be. Life's a living hell, and this is my one last chance to get a better life for myself._"

It was true. Capara's life was a living hell, in a soft way. She had lost both her parents early in life, leaving her to be bounced around from one orphanage to another without care for her personal feelings. Because of this she grew up getting harsh and mean-tempered. She would get into fights almost every day, sometimes with creatures bigger and stronger than herself. The proudest day of her life was when she took down a jetsam thug barehanded. It was a defining moment in her life.

Another thing about her was her dress. She'd been wearing unisex clothing most of her life, and just got into the habit of wearing boy's clothes because they seemed to fit better, and cover more vital spots during fights. Now it was hard to tell she was a girl in her street clothes. It was frustrating, especially when she needed to use a public restroom. Always, it seemed, there was someone in there that didn't think she was really a girl. So she often had to show that person that she was, resulting in a lot of shocked expressions.

After running away from her orphanage she'd managed to eke out a living by stealing, panhandling, and tricking suckers on the street with old reliable cons like the shell game, and card games. She'd become rather good with the cards, and was able to afford a meager apartment by finding floating poker games and raking in some good money.

It was during one of these floating games that she heard about Cheat. The name alone intrigued her, since she did it all the time. The more she heard about it, the more she liked it. Winning money for cheating, and getting more when you catch someone doing it. The perfect game for a deceptive little kyrii. She started frequenting the little Cheat games held in the city, really bombing at first, but eventually getting the hang of it and actually doing quite well. Several times she was told to go to the Cheat championships in Neo Vegas, where all the big money changed hands and where there was a chance for serious prize money, especially for anyone who could beat the reigning champion, Spectre. Rumors flew that the prize could even be a million bucks.

Nothing attracts a poor gambler like the chance at big money. So she used what little savings she had to catch a bus to Neo Vegas with high hopes of winning big. To aid her in that end, she decided to use further trickery. Since most of her opponents there were men, she really got dolled up each time she played, being flirty and cute, even though she hated it. In truth, she rather hated men. She'd always fought them in orphanages, and that developed into a hatred that she kept under control. Really, all others she couldn't stand, but she found women to be at least a little bearable. Every night she'd slather on make-up, put on costume jewelry she picked up in a pawnshop and try to distract her opponents while she cleaned up. It worked fairly well against the lower division players, and netted her a fair sum. But against the major players, those after the mystery pot, it seemed to be failing. Often she lost, or got a lousy ranking. It was defiantly not her time now.

"Ah well, nothing to do about it but let it go and try to make up in the next competitions. The new arrivals for the upper rankings arrive tonight. I think I'll check out the newest crop of pigeons I'll have to try and fleece. It might be fun." After changing into some denim pants and a loose white t-shirt she slipped on a pair of sneakers and slid a leather jacket on, looking more like a street tough than a flirting Cheat player. And that was exactly the look she was going for. Only her face gave her away, since it still bore a certain feminine softness.

Silently she slipped out onto the streets of Neo Vegas, like most of Neopia a clean and friendly place, but still bearing the aura of tiredness and social decay that a gambling center will naturally possess. The streets were full now, night being the busiest time for the city. All around her hustled pets of all types, laughing if they've won, grumbling if they didn't. At a glance, it was quite easy to tell the winners from the losers, a good skill in that town. Capara ignored them all, including some stray sighs and giggles from female pets. It always happened. One of the disadvantages of looking so masculine.

Eventually, she made it to the bus station, and started to push her way through the crowd gathered there to move up front and glance at the newest arrivals for the championships. The bus pulled up and gave a sigh of escaping air, as though glad to be rid of its passengers. The doors opened and disgorged the motley collection of cheaters, chomping at the bit for a chance to win very big. One of the exiting persons intrigued her more than the rest did, however.

"_So, even royalty is getting in on the act. That pampered princess should be an easy score..._" A princess had indeed gotten off the bus, seemingly on her own. The well-known Princess Fernypoo, only child of the king of Aquamarina. A very rich kingdom of acaras. Capara grinned broadly as she imagined playing against the Princess, who probably bought her way into the upper division play. She'd probably make a lot of mistakes and cheat when it was not in her best interest to do so. Or she'd call someone on cheating when they obviously were not. Capara started making her way past those ahead of her, to try and talk to Fernypoo for a moment. Perhaps she could establish a good rapport and then take her for all she's worth. But before she could get there, Fernypoo was gone, whisked away by a taxi to one of the hotels lining the Neo Vegas strip.

"Dang, missed her. Not a problem, I'll be seeing her in the competitions. She'll get hers." Capara grinned at the luxury hotels, where Fernypoo was likely staying. "Hear that, Princess? I'll be living in there someday."

Somehow, the appearance of Fernypoo helped Capara to concentrate on the prize, perhaps because the vast difference in their fortunes and the unfairness of her situation made her more cunning and eager to win. She soundly trounced opponents like Timmy and Branston, and somehow managed to squeak past Chuffer Bob by holding four of a kind until the very end.

"_At least that pipsqueak Timmy was good for something. That move might only be good once, but it's gotten me here._" Capara had made it to a slightly more advanced level. She wouldn't be seeing Spectre for a while, but she was finally up against the one who had given her the determination to be there. Princess Fernypoo was right across the table from her, singularly unimpressed with Capara and all the others around the table. To Capara's left was the suave, confident Agent 00 Hog. He absolutely infuriated Capara, being such a collected, calm individual who seemed to have no cares in the world. Also at the table was a hapless looking Usul with a bad haircut and a polka dot bow tie. No clue how someone like that got there, but no matter. All she cared about was beating Princess Fernypoo. "Good luck, Princess. You're really going to need it." Capara gave Fernypoo her biggest, most insincere grin.

"Humph! Commoner. Don't worry, I will win." Fernypoo had the air of spoiled confidence that usually followed people who had no marketable skills at all, and who relied on others for everything.

"Don't get your hopes up, Princess. I hate to brag, but I am quite good at this game." Agent 00 Hog smiled winningly at Fernypoo, but only got the cold shoulder for his troubles.

"_The girl's got the taste to recognize a worthless smooth-talker when she hears one. Gotta give her that._" Capara thought as she watched Fernypoo.

The game got underway very quickly. The order was established as Oliver Usuliko (The geek in the bow tie), Capara, Agent 00 Hog, and finally Princess Fernypoo. Capara marveled at the Princess, who turned out to be quite a canny player indeed. She caught Agent 00 Hog cheating when Capara was certain he had been truthful about his cards. However, Capara soon discovered the real power player of the game was Oliver Usuliko. He was a nerd, yes, but a mathematics wizard. He kept track of cards in his head and did quick probability calculations every time he saw someone set cards down. In the end he was the big winner. And as it turned out, Agent 00 Hog was the big loser. Quite possibly because Capara had been gunning for him the entire time.

"Good thing that's over. This makeup was starting to make me itch." Capara removed her makeup and costume jewelry, taking a long, hot bath to wash away the indignity she felt after using such cheap tricks to try and win when they weren't even working anymore. "Those lecherous losers didn't have any talent, which is why I got them so quickly. Now that the stakes are higher it's all about the talent. I might as well just forget about my plans and go in there like I really am. Then again, no one would recognize me. They'd all wonder who the mysterious new man in the game was. It might not be such a bad idea to start things anew. I could have a whole new life somewhere if everyone thought I was just another guy."

Capara allowed herself to slide below the surface of the tub, letting the water flow over every part of her body, her fur lightly waving in the gentle current of the tub. Capara looked up at the ceiling through the wavy wall of water before her eyes. Everything looked hazy and indistinct, wavering with the slightest move of any part of her body. That, Capara realized, was very much like her life so far. She was looking out at life and seeing everything distorted, waving about and being unclear. She had no plans for life, no future that didn't hinge on the luck of the draw and a few flicks of her wrists. And that kind of life, like lying under the water, was slowly killing her. She slid back up, taking a deep breath of air when her head cleared the water. "But unlike this bath, I can't surface from life..."

Capara's mind then drifted to Princess Fernypoo, whose life seemed the exact opposite of hers. Spoiled, cared for, provided with everything she needed. A cushy existence with a sharp and certain focus. No chance, no variation. Sharp as a razorblade, and just as sure to kill as a sea of uncertainty. How odd, feeling sympathy for the Princess. "Princess Moneybags probably isn't giving me a single thought. I'll be she's one of those types that hates all of us so-called commoners. She can just go ahead and continue down that sharp and clear path. She deserves the unhappy life that's coming to her when she finds out she's trapped in her little jeweled box. She'll look just lovely hanging off of some Prince's sleeve." She laughed at the thought of the pampered Princess reduced to a mute and powerless companion for some horrible and callous Prince. "It would serve her right if nothing else..."

Letting the water drain slowly in the tub Capara worked herself over with the blow dryer and a brush. "Even us commoners have to look our best. It's not just the rich who get to groom." As Capara ran the brush over the fur atop her head she realized that she was spending an awful lot of her time thinking about Princess Fernypoo, which was very unlike her indeed. "Inequity is one thing, but seeing it right in front of you is quite another. Yea, that's it. Just one of those things you can't help but think about because it was staring you in the face all night looking cute... Cute? Yea, helpless and cute, like a Puppyblew."

Capara slid on her jeans and white t-shirt, her jacket coming next, completing her look perfectly. "Now I look like I feel. Rough, tough, and ready." She smiled at her image in the mirror, a very handsome face staring back at her. "_Androgyny is beautiful..._" Capara thought, as she walked out the door into the NeoVegas night. Another warm night with swarming streets, everyone pushing against everyone else. Pickpockets abounded, and several times Capara was forced to twist the wrist of an ambitious thief who thought he was slick. Capara made her way to a less-populous portion of the strip and leaned herself against a streetlight, formulating a plan to use against Fernypoo and the others tomorrow.

"Well hello there." That voice... Sweet and laced with a cultured air. The voice of someone who could afford to be both sweet and cultured. "You look a little lonely. Mind some company?"

"Princess Fernypoo?" Capara's voice deepened a little, as it usually did when she wasn't in competition. Before her was the Princess, wearing a fine powder blue dress and a simple coral tiara. No bodyguards either. She had guts, but not much sense.

"I see you recognize me. No need for introductions on my part I suppose. Who are you, handsome boy?" Was she... flirting? She was no good at it, clearly unpracticed, but she was flirting alright.

"My name is Cap... Uhh... Yea, Cap." Capara smiled a warm looking smile at the Princess and desperately tried to think of what to do now.

"It is a great pleasure to meet you Cap. Do you live around here? I'm so very lost and really could use a guide around the city." Fernypoo winked at Capara, her long lashes stirring a fait breeze in the still air of the night. The sweet scent of her perfume floated past Capara's nose.

"A guide? Oh sure." Here was a chance to learn about the Princess. All the better to shut her down in play. And maybe just string her along a little bit. Perfect. "I'd be happy to take you around. Trust me..."

To be continued...

_**Well, things are well on their way.**_

_Capara: I can't believe she really thinks I'm a guy._

_Ferny: He's so handsome._

_Capara: Well, I can believe it, but I can't believe she'd want to date me._

_Ferny: So suave and debonair._

_Capara: I never knew royalty was so gullible._

_Ferny: I never knew commoners could be so attractive._

_Capara and Ferny: No Problem!_

_**Next Episode: How do you tell?**_

_Capara: Smooth sailing... I hope._


	2. How do you tell?

You didn't think I was serious did you? You thought I was a one shot jokester with no plans for anything else. Not a chance. This is going as far as I can take it. Hope you stick around for the ride.

Disclaimer: All characters, places, and whatnot belong to NeoPets.com, not me. I did the story and nothing but. Please don't hurt me or sue me, I am making no money off of this at all, I swear. I am making no copyright claims and am just using the characters for the purposes of fun and entertainment, not profit.

How do you like it? Write to me at DeMachina@cs.com Flamers: Just don't bother. MSTers: Please don't. Regular comments: Go right ahead.

**Cheaters never... Never mind...**

**Episode 2: How do you tell?**

**By: Gabriel**

"That there is the Mystery Island grand hotel. Its theme is Mystery Island and it is one of the most expensive hotels on the strip, both in room cost and maintenance." Capara pointed to a large, lush hotel front, jungle plants springing out onto the sidewalk defying the concrete around them. At her arm was Princess Fernypoo, listening intently to everything she had to say. Of course, she didn't know it was Capara leading her around the city. She thought it was a handsome boy named Cap. Masculine characteristics do have their advantages.

"That's where I'm staying. It's really lovely on the top floor. You should come up and check out the view sometime." Ferny smiled and fluttered her lashes at Capara, shamelessly flirting with the girl she thought was a boy.

"Th-that's alright. I'll pass on that. I don't think it would look right for someone to go with you to your room. Scandalmongers everywhere you know." Capara had to keep tap-dancing on a knife's edge, trying to keep Princess Fernypoo interested, but not letting her get close enough to compromise her secret.

"I suppose you're right. Oh how terrible it is to be a princess sometimes. Everyone just wants a little piece of you to sell, either a photo, or a bit of fur, or some of your clothes. It just gets tiring sometimes. Then again, so does the constant attention of bodyguards. That's why I came here on my own."

"_So that explains the lack of fanfare and the bus travel. Interesting..._" Capara thought, while she led Princess Fernypoo further down the strip. "There's a lot more to this town than you may realize. Sure it's glitzy and glamorous, and that's what makes it famous. I'm not sure where this is going, but it's better than just staying quiet, no?"

Ferny giggled, hugging Capara's arm tightly. "Oh Cap, you're so funny."

Capara smiled at the Princess and tried not to look utterly mortified and really uncomfortable about the whole situation. "Thanks... Where would you like to go now?"

"Just take me back to my hotel. I need my beauty rest. I have a Cheat competition tomorrow, and I don't want to be late. I'm up against a bunch of commoners who just don't have a chance against me."

"Reach for the stars, Princess." Capara seethed on the inside while she smiled benignly at Princess Fernypoo. "_We'll see just who loses at that game..._"

"Why don't you come watch me play tomorrow, Cap? It'll be just wonderful to have you out there supporting me. A real boost to my confidence." Ferny hugged tighter to Capara's arm, pressing her face close to the Kyriis.

"Err... Ahhh... I'd love to... But you see... I... Ummm... Have to... to work! Yea, I have to work tomorrow." That was the best she could do? It must be the time. It's too late to think of a really believable lie. "_A little three-card monte scam and some easy marks should perk me right up..._"

Ferny pouted cutely, halfway between acting and genuine disappointment. "Awww. That's too bad. I really could have used your support. I'm up against a tough player. This Capara is a real professional. Must come from being right off the streets. Not that there's anything wrong with that!" She added quickly, trying to salvage her complimentary stance towards Capara.

Capara had no intention of leaving, no matter how angry she was feeling. "No offense taken at all, Princess. Here's your hotel. Goodnight." Capara smiled and waved pleasantly to the Princess. Once she was out of sight however she took off running back to her motel, gritting her teeth and seeming on the verge of screaming.

"That girl is so insufferable! So high and mighty and superior! And such a condescending attitude! The only reason she even let me be with her was the fact that I'm handsome... cute.. whatever. I really need to scam some pets. Now!"

The next day Capara was feeling reasonably sane and secure. She had been as good as her thoughts and had indeed set up a table to play a little crooked three-card monte. No one ever suspected she was swindling them, and good. She raked in enough to feel rather good about her upcoming game against Princess Fernypoo, Brucey B and Agent 00 Hog. She thanked her lucky stars that the secret agent had only one loss left before elimination. He was a royal pain in the posterior. And speaking of royal pains... "Princess! Hope you have some good luck today. Didn't look like you were doing too well the other day."

Ferny had been scanning her gaze over the audience, perhaps looking for Cap, thinking he managed to get a day off from work or that he had faked sick to see her play. When Capara called out to her, in her higher, more sugary "Competition" voice, she snapped her head around to look at her, glaring. "You. Just you wait, street urchin. I will beat you today. There's nobody here who is a threat to me and my amazing skill."

Capara just smiled. She had seen Princess Fernypoo's weak, soft side and knew she was a sucker, and rather inexperienced. If she played it right she could probably use her natural charm and looks to throw her a bit. "Right..."

"Good luck everyone! I hope you all do well." Brucey B smiled warmly at the other players, trying to suck up to them. He was no fool. However, with Agent 00 Hog's future in the balance and Capara and Ferny at war no one was really willing to be friendly.

"Forget the act. No one has ever managed to suck up to me and succeed." Capara shook her head at Brucey and wagged her finger at him. No one was scamming the con artist today.

"My entire future in this competition is riding on this game. I entered on a "Safety sudden death" deal. If I lose twice I can't compete for another year. I don't wanna go back to secret agenting! It's dangerous! Mommy!" Agent 00 Hog looked terribly frazzled, as though he hadn't slept too well the night before. His normally neat tuxedo was disheveled, hanging crookedly on his form and had several stains on it.

"_What a loser. I just knew he was a useless player and not too good in general. I just didn't think he'd crack so quickly._" Capara thought about all that while she also devised a good strategy to use against Fernypoo. "_She favors calling on multi-cards, but is afraid of calling single cards; unless she thinks you've played it before... I'll wait for three, play one, and then hold two. She'll fall right for it. And I'll split doubles. I hope I don't piss her off too much. I'd hate to have her clobber me tonight... Whoa, gotta stop thinking so far ahead... That sounded so very wrong..._"

The game got underway very quickly, each of them playing for something: Capara for money; Ferny for her ego; 00 Hog for his spot; and Brucey B for... Well, actually he was just playing to have a grand old time. As worried as 00 Hog was about his spot he played horribly, missing some rather blatant cheating and calling at some really boneheaded moments. As Capara predicted her strategy of splitting doubles and segmenting triples threw Fernypoo and the others as well. However she eased off near the end of the game, allowing Fernypoo to win and coming in at second place. Brucey B was rather happy with his third place standing, smiling and waving to the cheering crowd of onlookers. Agent 00 Hog had to be physically removed from the stage by two large bouncers. He screamed and sobbed like a little girl as they dragged him away, saying that he was going to be sent to a top secret remote island with a top secret mission and that he didn't want to go.

As soon as the standings were announced Capara had to zip off to her motel room, carefully avoiding Fernypoo while she ran in there. "Only a few minutes to change and get out there. Guess I could use my Monte money to take her out someplace. I might gain a little insight into her personality. Soften her up for a major victory. I just have to be careful, she's not as dull as she looks..." Capara washed off her makeup, making sure that her face was totally clear of the stuff before she struggled into her comfortable post-competition clothes. Dashing out of her room she made her way back to the lamppost she had been at the other night. When she arrived there she rested against it, just trying to relax. Fernypoo was probably primping and grooming at her room and would take her own sweet, regal time to arrive. "_I am taking this way too seriously. It's just a scam. I don't have to care about her... right? I really gotta stop watching television. It'll ruin my cheaters edge._"

"Yoo-hoo! Cap! I'm here!" Ferny sauntered up to the lamppost Capara was at, smiling softly. She was wearing a marine green dress with white lace at the throat, sleeves and trim. She was wearing her coral tiara but probably had it vigorously polished all day. Hanging about her was the delicate scent of lavender, perfumed to perfection without being excessive. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting long."

"Oh not at all Princess." In truth Capara had been waiting there for over an hour, running through her plans for the evening. She had to get just the right information out of Fernypoo without being suspicious. But she wasn't about to tell her that. "I just got off from work, went home to change and hopped right out here. I couldn't have been here more than five minutes."

"Wonderful! Oh Cap I just can't tell you how good it is to see you. I had such a terrible day today." Ferny leaned against Capara, her perfume gently caressing over the Kyriis senses.

"R-really? Why don't you tell me all about it while we have something to eat? I just got paid and thought I'd treat you tonight." Capara stood her ground, but was quite ready to bolt for the nearest alley. The perfume swirling about her and the feel of the Princess so close to her was more than a little worrisome. Exposure causes tolerance. "_If she keeps that up I might start to like it. I don't even want to think about that..._"

"Dinner? Really? Will you show me all the little places that you like to go to? Those quaint eateries that serve strange concoctions to common pets?"

"That's what I was thinking. Someplace not too seedy, but with a little street class. That's the thing you learn quick around here. It's all about the street class." Capara gave Fernypoo an oily smile that she hoped wasn't too phony. She did have her "Charming commoner" image to uphold if she was going to keep up the deception.

""Street class"? What an odd concept. What does it mean?"

"Come with me. I'll tell you all about it..."

Not too much later they were both being seated in a cozy corner both at "Blumies", a diner apparently staffed entirely by Blumaroos. "So this is what street charm is... Comfortable and things actually match. It's a bit plain, but I suppose that the poorer pets must make due with things like that. In all it isn't too bad. And it's surprisingly clean." Fernypoo idly commented on the entire place while she waited for the menus to arrive. It was a wonder she didn't comment on the menu shortage in her condescending commentary.

"It's a rather nice place. I enjoy coming here." Capara offhandedly commented, taking her menu and holding it up in front of her, half reading it, half looking over the top at Fernypoo, watching for any little quirks or habits that could be exploited or inquired about. Fifty percent of a scam is the idle conversation that keeps the eyes to one side while the other side is being robbed blind.

"Interesting menu items. They're all so... unfamiliar. What exactly is a 'hamburger'? Or a 'hot dog'? That doesn't sound very appealing." Ferny looked up over the top of her own menu and right into the eyes of Capara. They held their gazes together for a long moment, Capara too afraid of how suspicious it would look to look away and Ferny because she just saw something familiar in the way Capara was looking over the top of her menu. "You remind me of someone... Maybe it's the way your eyes are barely peeking over the menu. It just reminds me of my competition in Cheat. I always seem them looking at me like that. But especially that one girl... Whatever her name is. Anyway she's a Kyrii too. Maybe that's it..."

"Yea! That must be it. I've got that kind of face that you just see everywhere. Seen one Kyrii you've seen us all."

"I wouldn't say that. You have a very distinctive look to you that I'd know anywhere." Ferny winked at Capara, going back to reading her menu.

"Well... Uhh... You said you wanted to know about the food. Well, a hamburger is just fried ground meat served between two halves of a roll. And a hot dog is a sausage served in a bun that closes around it. If you want I can order for you. I'll be sure to pick something you might like."

"No, no, it's ok; I can handle this myself. I have to run a kingdom someday after all. Surely I can handle ordering food for myself."

"Would either of you like anything to start? Soda, coffee, anything?" A Blumaroo waitress hopped over to them, holding a pad and pencil and looking more than a little enthused at Capara. Another one who thought she looked handsome.

"Yes, could I get a cup of hot golden juppie tea with just a touch of buzz honey? And a seaweed scone on the side?"

"Uhhh... Sorry honey. We don't got anything like that around here. Can I getcha an iced tea?"

"Well, I suppose that will have to do." Ferny looked rather disappointed that she couldn't get her tea, but seemed rather determined to press on.

"I'll just have a NeoCola to start me out." Capara muttered quickly, trying to hide behind her menu.

"You got it, Sugar." The Blumaroo looked between Ferny and Capara a few times, smiling a knowing little smile. "You two make just the cutest little couple." She commented before hopping off to bring their drinks.

"Did you hear that? It's like we were meant to be." Ferny looked starry-eyed at Capara, who was starting to sink into her seat.

"Well... Not that I'm saying there's anything wrong but... it was just one opinion... I mean, this is nice but you can't rush into these things..."

"I know that. I'm just saying I'm glad that I'm not wrong. After all, this does look really odd. A princess and a commoner together at a place like this. I'm amazed there aren't cameras everywhere."

"_You only think you're above me, Princess. In the end you'll see I've been above you the whole time..._" Capara thought bitterly as she continued to smile at Fernypoo. "I guess you can consider yourself lucky. I think traveling alone threw the scandal hounds off your trail."

"I suppose you're right. I'm glad I decided to go it on my own. It's good for me. This will give me the real life experience I need to be able to identify with my subjects."

Capara smiled predatorily behind her menu, looking Ferny right in the eyes. "Believe me, Princess, if you stick with me you'll get all the real life experience you need."

At that moment the waitress returned with Ferny's iced tea and Capara's NeoCola, leaving Ferny wondering why she felt slightly unsettled. She dropped the idea right away, convinced she was just imagining things. "So, you two lovebirds ready to order?"

"Yes, I think I shall try a... hamburger."

"You want slaw or fries on the side?"

"What or what?"

"She'll have fries on the side." Capara interjected, to save Ferny some embarrassing questions that would make her look simple. Strange that she'd help Ferny like that, though. Just acting the part too well or something.

"Alright. And what about you?"

"I think... The same would be fine." Capara closed her menu and handed it to the waitress, indicating for Ferny to do the same.

"Shouldn't take too long. You two just relax and try not to get too comfy, if you know what I mean." The waitress winked at them before hopping off on her tail.

"She was certainly nice. I really should try to associate with more common people. It's really good for me and I'm learning a lot."

"It has its benefits, indeed." Capara said nonchalantly. "_Like bringing you out into the open. I wonder just how long I can stretch this._"

They both sat in relative silence after that, Ferny looking around and admiring the decor, while making condescending comments about it; and Capara watching Ferny, memorizing all her little quirks, postures and movements. Finally, the Blumaroo waitress arrived at their table with the food. Although she hopped everywhere on her tail she hadn't dropped a single fry, showing a great deal of practice. "Here ya go. Y'all enjoy that. I'll be around in case you want refills."

"Thank you..." Capara muttered, pouring ketchup on her fries and a little on her burger. She handed the bottle to Ferny who looked at it like it was some ancient mystical relic.

"What is this? It looks like... blood." Ferny looked prepared to turn an unladylike shade of green.

"Don't worry, it's just ketchup. Tomato sauce with some spices in it. Try it. It's great with fries and a burger. Fair warning, Princess, you might want to take off those gloves. This meal tends to get a little messy, if you do it right." Capara smiled winningly, giving advice and humor all at once. "_I am so good..._"

Dinner went mostly as Capara expected, Ferny needing to adjust to the eating of more common foods, while she herself both coached and observed closely. At the end of the evening Capara again saw Ferny to her hotel.

"I had a lot of fun tonight, Cap. You're really teaching me a lot of things I need to know."

"Well, Princess, it's my pleasure to do so." Capara turned to go back to her motel.

"Cap?"

"Yes?" When Capara turned around she found herself tightly embraced by Ferny. She struggled for a moment but eventually let her continue, until she finally let go and planted a delicate kiss on her cheek.

"Good night..." Ferny quietly said, hurrying into her hotel and away from a very stunned Capara.

"Good... night..." Capara whispered, barely a breath through her lips. One hand was over her cheek, rubbing the spot that had just been kissed. This was not part of her plan. Neither was the sudden feeling that everything was not as under her control as she had first assumed.

Things went on like that for a while, each day Capara rising in the ranks of Cheat, no longer constrained by letting Ferny win. Every time Ferny lost she would always gladly console the sobbing princess as "Cap", the understanding commoner boy. But she found it harder and harder to take malicious glee in her mastery of the game and her continued deception of the trusting, caring Princess. She knew that she had lost control of her lies and was now flying without a net over some dangerous territory.

At last came what she had been dreaming of, the moment of greatest triumph. The final match to decide everything. Oliver Usuliko, Princess Fernypoo, herself and Spectre, all at the same table. The stakes were never higher, and Capara felt so uncomfortable, sitting there in her makeup and jewelry while she watched Ferny take a beating in the game. Not that she didn't help in that respect. She was no fool. Every chance she got to make the pile smaller she made it smaller. She tried to get a reading from Spectre a few times but always averted her eyes when he stared at her. His gaze was to cold and dead it was like staring into the eyes of a corpse.

The game moved on slowly, inch by inch and card by card, each pet gaining ground and then losing it again. Slowly but surely, however, Capara began to emerge as the leader, until Spectre started nipping at her heels. Down to the last card, nothing in her hand to use, she tossed t to the table and declared it was what was needed. The room was deathly quiet as the other players looked her up and down. And then... No one said a word. With a mighty cheer from the spectators Capara knew she had done it. Finally, after all her hard work, cheating, lying, deceptions and dishonesty she had won the grand prize fair and square.

Capara ascended the steps that led to the winner's circle, a big, bright smile on her face. She stood there, basking in the spotlight and relishing her place in the sun. She was handed the championship trophy, which she took with great eagerness, and a giant check, also taken with great eagerness. She opened her eyes to look out at the crowd, the adoring crowd that was cheering just for *HER*... when she caught sight of Ferny still sitting at the table, looking dejected and depressed. She knew she wanted... NEEDED the money, and she deserved every bit of it. She could have a real life at last, no longer dependant on anything risky or dangerous. And yet... when she saw the tears falling from Ferny's eyes and the sadness on that face she couldn't help but feel terrible. She now realized that she had changed. As her confidence increased and her exposure dragged on she stopped seeing Ferny as a faceless snob, and saw her for what she really was. A warm and caring Acara, who had hopes, dream ambitions, a real and true life, just like her. And that she had... fallen in love with the person under the mask of haughtiness and hyper civility.

The championship cup began to feel like a leaden weight, cumbersome and useless. The check, too, was more like a giant sheet of metal than a bearer of her dreams. It was as though someone had flicked off a switch inside her. At the moment she was meant to feel most euphoric and grand she felt dead. Utterly emotionally dead. Without waiting for the interviews or commentary that was supposed to follow the game Capara dashed away, running like the wind to try and get back to her motel room. Ferny would return to Aquamarina now that she had lost. Capara had to speak her mind before that could happen.

At the room she dumped off everything from the competition, and dressed herself with greater haste than usual, barely taking enough time to wash the makeup from her face. Every step she took was against the clock, the pounding of her feet on the pavement and asphalt like the seconds ticking away. Once at Ferny's hotel she burst right in and grabbed an elevator, jabbing the button to Ferny's floor repeatedly, even after the elevator started moving.

Capara burst into Ferny's room; lucky the door was left unlocked. "Ferny!"

"Ferny was sniffling pitifully as she unpacked her things from the room's drawers and placed them delicately into her suitcases. "Cap? Are... are you here to see me off?"

Capara hesitated in the doorway, her earlier resolve starting to melt now that was actually faced by Ferny. But with no other recourse she slowly made her way toward Ferny. "You can't leave. Not yet..."

"I have to, Cap. Father expects me back now that the championships are over..."

"But... but I..."

"I know. I do too. But I guess I knew it wouldn't last. I'm just not able to stay. I have to leave."

"There's more to it than just that. I have to... I have to be honest with you. I don't want you to leave or to go on feeling anything until I tell you the truth."

Ferny looked down at the dress she was holding for a long moment, as though it would tell her future like tea leaves. Then she slowly looked up and graced Capara with her gaze. "You lied to me? When?"

Capara faltered, but then drew closer, knowing she was too far along to quit now. "From the start. Just look into my eyes and you'll see."

Ferny looked, shallowly at first but then deeper and deeper into the beautiful orbs. Eyes she had looked at past many a candle and over many a table... Table... Those eyes. Something familiar about them. There was tenderness there; something she had never noticed had been missing. But something else was...

"I love you, Ferny. And I know you love me. But there is one thing I never told you. My real name."

The coldness she'd seen all those times at the start, like ice.

Capara returned the deep staring, wondering if she was just throwing away all her hopes for happiness. Then she realized that there would be no happiness without truth. Her duplicity had crumbled, her lies caved in and her deceptive days were over. She couldn't lie to those eyes again, couldn't watch them fill with undeserved tears.

Something about them, something about him... Something... Something... Closer and closer she came to realizing what it was. It was all blending together. Menus and pamphlets and... cards. No...

"It's me..." Capara said, adopting her competition tone. "Capara..."

To be continued...

**_The truth come out and comes out hard._**

_Capara: I did it._

_Ferny: It's her..._

_Capara: I can't believe I did it._

_Ferny: I can't... no, it can't be..._

_Capara: Why did I even think I could keep it up?_

_Ferny: She tricked me..._

_Capara: How could I honestly believe I could keep from falling in love?_

_Ferny: And she said she... loves me... And I said... Oh my..._

_Capara and Ferny: This is so unreal..._

**_Next Episode: Come to me if you be mine..._**

_Ferny: Now what can I do?_


	3. Come to me if you be mine...

Thank you all for sticking by me. It's because of fans like you that I can continue to be the author that I am. I hope you keep enjoying this little series, and bear with me all the way to the end.

Disclaimer: All characters, places, and whatnot belong to NeoPets.com, not me. I did the story and nothing but. Please don't hurt me or sue me, I am making no money off of this at all, I swear. I am making no copyright claims and am just using the characters for the purposes of fun and entertainment, not profit.

What do you think? Write to me at DeMachina@cs.com Flamers: Don't. MSTers: Not a chance. Regular comments: Sure thing!

**Cheaters never... Never mind...**

**Episode 3: Come to me if you be mine...**

**By: Gabriel**

*SLAP!!*

Ferny brought her hand up and slapped squarely across Capara's face, looking at her with a mixture of anger and sorrow. Capara staggered back almost all the way to the door. The slap itself was light, Ferny having very little real muscle mass. But the combination of the look and the slap had forced her back. The look in Ferny's eyes... It spoke of the ultimate betrayal. Can truth breed lies? No, but revelations will usually end in sadness.

"Ferny..." Capara herself was on the verge of tears, her hand on her cheek where the Princess's gloved hand had stricken her. She rubbed it lightly for a moment before she realized that that was the exact same spot Ferny had kissed her days before. And then she began to truly cry. "Ferny... Ferny please..."

"Get out of here! Leave me alone you fraud!" Ferny threw a flaming red shoe at Capara, tears streaming out of her eyes, her look having degenerated from anger and sorrow to pure sorrow.

"But Ferny..." Capara dodged the mate of the show that had been thrown at her. "Ferny I lo..."

"Don't you say that! I've had enough of your lies. You tricked me! You tricked me and made me look like a fool. I can't believe that I... It was all a lie! A dirty lie!"

"Let me explain Ferny! I was just... It was... I didn't expect to..." Capara was at a loss for words. Being truthful was never her strong point and now she saw why. No matter what she said she was in trouble. The truth might set her free, but she didn't want to cut her ties with Ferny. She wanted to remain with the beautiful princess. She wanted a fairy tale ending to her hash life. She was ready and willing to give up lying. She had money now; she no longer had a wavering future. But money wouldn't buy her Ferny's trust.

"The whole time, you were leading me along. Just using me. For what? To win that game? Well, you did. Now you have all that money. So just take it and go away. Go away and never come back here." Ferny dabbed at her eyes with a fine silk cloth and started to pack faster, stuffing clothing into her suitcases without caring about how it was placed or if it might get damaged.

"Yes, I was leading you along. I admit it. It was wrong, and stupid. But now I'm telling you the truth. This is how I really am, Ferny. And I really do love you..." Capara approached Ferny slowly, keeping a wary eye on the Princess, hoping she could reconcile with the beautiful girl.

Ferny stiffened for a moment, wavering internally it seemed. She held onto the dress she was stuffing into her suitcase, squeezing it as confusion and conflicting feelings ran through her body. "How can you say that? You lied to me. You let me think you were something you weren't. I opened up to you and all you did was lie. More and more lies every time I saw you..."

"But that's it. I never lied to you when I told you about my life. I just never mentioned my real gender. At the time I was being slick about my trickery... But I guess somewhere inside I knew that I would never be able to fool you, or myself. Somewhere inside was a little Kyrii clutching at a book of Fairy tales and knowing that in the end the handsome prince was supposed to marry the beautiful princess. I should have seen it. Should have known that I could never avoid falling in love with you."

"Love love love... You say it like it was real. You're a *GIRL* Capara... And so am I. It's not supposed to work like that."

"Says who? Who says we can't be together?"

"Please..." The edge of sadness in Ferny's voice cut Capara to the bone. "Please just go away... Go away and never come back. I'm going home to Aquamarina and I hope there I can get away from this memory..."

Step by step Capara backed from the room, watching Ferny cry into her suitcase. She watched, hoped and waited for Ferny to stop her. But in the end she backed up all the way to the elevators and found the doors closing in front of her, making her lose sight of Ferny.

~It was never supposed to be like this.~

~There was supposed to be a limit.~

"It's over..." Capara whispered, leaning against the elevator doors and pounding on them softly. "My one last chance at happiness and I threw it all away. For a few bucks and my own arrogance I threw away true and lasting happiness. I scammed her alright. I really messed with her mind. And now... I'm the one who's the biggest loser. Hurray for me, Capara, the stupid one..."

~Somewhere there was supposed to be order.~

~Somewhere was a word to use.~

Capara exited the elevator without noticing she was doing it. She trudged past people in the lobby, pushing them aside without caring about the dirty looks and complaints she received. She left the lobby and looked around at the crowded streets. Normally awash in a sea of potential and joy she felt crowded, stifled and choked. All around the lights, usually flashing like jewels and speaking of wonders untold looked gaudy and forced, like a smile that never should have been...

~The word was 'stop'~

~The one word never used...~

For a moment Capara was confused about what she should do and where she should go. Worse than a wavering vision was none at all. She had done worse than burn the bridge behind her. She had set it ablaze while she was still on it. She had trapped herself between a past she could no longer stand and a future that no longer existed. As the flames ate away at the bridge Capara could only imagine what might happen as she tumbled down into nothing.

~Wasn't I supposed to know all this?~

~Wasn't I the one who called all the shots?~

Capara tried to cheer up, with thoughts of her newfound fame and fortune, the three million she had won and the prestige of being the new Cheat champ. Thinking of the money made her sick, while thinking of the fame made her scared. That money might as well be made of razorblades. It couldn't possibly hurt her more if it was. And the fame? She shunned everyone before she even started playing cheat. And she hadn't changed. Well, towards one she had, but that didn't count. A change is only a change when what has changed matters. And it didn't matter that she was able to love Ferny. Ferny didn't want her.

~If I'm supposed to be the one with all the answers~

~Then why am I falling into a trap I set myself?~

That night the moon was full and stared down at her like an accusing eye. The stars looked like sparkles gleaming off of a million arrows aimed right at her. The sighs of girls, normally an annoyance, sounded like mocking now. As though they knew, as though they were trying to make her crazy. Every desirous breath scratched over her mind like a needle on a record. She remembered the tender sighs of Ferny, and wondered, distantly, whether feeling so in love after so short a time was a sign of true devotion, or madness.

~In the end no one knew.~

~In the end it was all for nothing.~

Somehow Capara managed to make her way back to her motel room and stumbled in, despite the giant crowd of people surrounding the place. Every touch of their hands made her recoil, internally shuddering. She started to feel the cold and familiar embrace of the shell she wore around others. Around her true inner workings closed an icy prison, protecting her from others, and keeping her locked away from feeling for anyone. However, the ice didn't close as tight or cover as far. Capara still looked about her as she pushed through the crowd, and searched for a face, the face of the one who made her feel warm inside, the face that kept the freezing shell away.

~The winner!~

~So what?~

In her room Capara contemplated what she could do. On her bed rested the check she had received, its many zeros a tempting consolation. So much money. She could trade an icy shell for a little gold box and be just like the rest of the idle rich, like... Her... The trophy rested upon her bed, a lump of worthless metal that meant something to others but nothing to her. She could just smash it and be done with it, but that wouldn't accomplish anything at all. She was stuck with both, and couldn't do a damn thing with either.

~The loser?~

~Oh yes.~

She had known that it might be hard to fool the Princess. She had caught herself feeling sorry for her and calling her cute. It was foolish to assume that her cunning and resolve would be enough to keep her from falling for someone after getting that close to them. She had come to desire a single breath of Ferny's perfume, to adore the whisper of silk as she walked, to admire her adornments and trinkets. And yet she had pressed on with the deception, feeling she was changing, but not caring enough about that to notice. It was as though her feelings were warning her that they would not be denied but she was too arrogant to listen.

~It's not the end.~

~The end would be merciful...~

"She should have been snobbish and unfriendly..." Capara whispered into the emptiness within her. "She should have been dismissive, haughty, overly refined and without any dimensions..." The deadness within grew like a parasite, feeding on her regret. "If she hadn't been so warm and caring behind her mask I wouldn't be here now. If only she'd been a faceless society clone I could be enjoying this..." Her inner emptiness just quietly grew, taking advantage of her regret and anger. Misplaced anger was the favorite food of deadness, and this was certainly a feast...

~It's only the start of the future.~

~A broken, hollow future...~

"It's not fair. It's just not fair. Why is it that love has to beat you up just when things start getting good? This is why I never fell in love before. I knew the risks. What did I think I was doing? My, I've said that a lot tonight. The ultimate planner and schemer undone by one little detail. And now I have nothing left to do but..."

~Return to the start of it all.~

~Or end it all.~

Capara pulled on her jacket and looked around her room again. She stroked the steak knife she held in her hand. She would just end it. No note, no dramatic speech. No cliche. Just the end. She could always go out and see if waiting would help but that seemed to be just delaying the inevitable. "Maybe out at the spot we first met. A little red to color the scene. It might mean something later..." She headed out the door but stopped before it was closed. "Nothing should ruin that spot. As bad as things are it's still special." She stopped in the doorway, looking down at the knife and wondering what she should do...

To be continued...

**_Capara is distraught. But what of Ferny?_**

_Ferny: What is happening?_

_Capara: She's not even thinking of me._

_Ferny: Why can't I stop thinking of her?_

_Capara: She'd never notice if I just went away._

_Ferny: This can't be happening to me._

_Capara: Maybe she'll just forget._

_Ferny: I'll never be able to forget this._

_Capara and Ferny: There is no way to understand this._

**_Next Episode: ...And I to thee if I be thine_**

_Capara: I'll never hear from her again._


	4. ...And I to thee if I be thine

Now you see why I made the decision to release both at once. You might have started getting worried about Capara. Keep that tension in mind. It's important. And for anyone who dislikes questioning sexuality, you might want to reach minimum safe distance.

Disclaimer: All characters, places, and whatnot belong to NeoPets.com, not me. I did the story and nothing but. Please don't hurt me or sue me, I am making no money off of this at all, I swear. I am making no copyright claims and am just using the characters for the purposes of fun and entertainment, not profit.

What do you think? Write to me at DeMachina@cs.com Flamers: Negatory. MSTers: No way. Regular comments: Most assuredly.

**Cheaters never... Never mind...**

**Episode 4: ...And I to thee if I be thine**

**By: Gabriel**

Ferny watched Capara vanish behind the doors of the elevators, keeping her in the corner of her eye. The girl was gone and everything was done with. No more problems, no more strange feelings, nothing but peace. Ferny wiped her eyes with the hem of a dress and started to pack again, more rationally and calmly. "That didn't require as much time or effort as I thought it might. Nothing more to do except wrap my Caparas... tiaras. That was odd."

~All alone.~

~Nothing but my thoughts.~

"I hope I didn't chip a nail when I slapped her. That's all I'd need. Ooooh, that... commoner!" Ferny checked her nails as she always did, and tried to ignore the gnawing realization that the word commoner had lost it's offensive sting. In her mind it was no longer bad to say or be that. And she couldn't dare consider what that might mean.

~And that's what scares me.~

~That I will now have to think...~

"This certainly was a misguided adventure. I thought I could prove my skill and ability by both winning the championships and making it on my own. Daddy will not be pleased. Well, if he never finds out he'll never get mad. I could... Oh no! I'm thinking like her! Then again, I've always trusted deceit to keep me from trouble. I just never thought anyone else would use it on me." Ferny concentrated hard on every minute detail of everything that she did, to keep her mind occupied and away from the questions that burned inside. Was she really so different from Capara? And, did she really hate the girl who had come to love her, despite everything?

~Blindness!~

~Blindness!~

Ferny closed her suitcase and did her best to make it snap shut. But every time she tried to close one side the other side would bulge, or she'd feel something shift and that would force her to open it up and readjust everything. Sometimes it seemed the distractions were intentional, that she purposefully sat in the wrong spot or pushed one place too hard so she'd have to delay her packing. Just keeping her mind occupied... or was she just afraid of leaving too soon?

~Blessed blindness set me free~

~From these thoughts that now haunt me.~

Ferny finally just gave up on trying to close her suitcase, figuring that it could wait until much later. She threw herself onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. Since she was in a themed Hotel her ceiling looked like the top of a tropical jungle, each leaf carefully painted to look totally real. I'm not going to let this bother me. I have spending money, I have a good reputation and I have my good looks. I could just go out and do something. Maybe visit that quaint little eatery that Capa... No, maybe I won't do that."

She rolled over on the bed, now laying on her belly and staring at the floor. The carpet, she realized, looked like grass, even though it felt like ordinary carpet. Deceptive appearances. Deceptive... It seemed that she was surrounded by irony. Or maybe it was just her perception doing that. Maybe she was reading into it too much. It was all too complex. Life was so simple back at the palace. She never had to think about things like this. Or anything else... for that matter...

~Life is hard and getting harder~

~Out of the way or let it mow you down.~

"My life is not spiraling out of control! It just can't! I refuse to let some little Kyrii upset my life! I am a Princess! I always have my way! I never had to... Had to deal with... Some life." She'd seen too much of real life while hanging on Capara's arm. She'd seen heartbreak and disappointment, seen losers with nothing to show but an empty wallet. She'd also seen winners laughing and joking with everyone around them. Life from bad to good, everything that she never saw in the palace. "Smiling yes-men and functionless tag-alongs, all of them! Why would daddy try to keep me ignorant? It's not like I'm a stupid girl. I got good grades when I was with my tutor who... Worked for daddy..."

~Truth is hitting and hitting hard~

~No time to run and no place to hide.~

"It's true. I really didn't know anything. How can I even be sure that what I know is truthful, or even just accurate? All the things I thought I knew, math, science, everything. It might all be garbage. And I'd never know. Even my social skills are impaired. I never had to see the bad and good. Only she showed it to me... And I can say that without fear." Ferny slid herself off the bed and looked at her suitcase, packed but open. Just like her mind. Filled with a thousand ideas but open and willing to have them explored. "Just what am I running from? And who?"

~Fight or flight?~

~Lay down and let it strike.~

"When I saw her, I thought she was a boy, she tricked me and then told me the truth. Simple. That's how it was, no question." The flimsy and two-dimensional story fell flat in her mind, because she knew she could flesh that story out. "Well... Did I really think she was a boy? No, I didn't. I just thought, "What a great looking pet! I think I'll go over and talk." I didn't even think about gender until she started talking. Had she let on right then and there, would I have been disgusted? Or anxious?"

~Slowly, like a glacier's crawl~

~Truth is emerging.~

"After that she led me along. But it's not like I resisted her. I couldn't. She was so handsome... pretty... or something like that. She had charm, wit, wisdom and an air of strength. She put up well with the things that I said, which really must have hurt her inside. She's a might fine actress indeed. She managed to suppress the urge to speak against me. I let myself be led, and revealed everything to her. Maybe that's why she fell for me. She knew all about me, and liked what she saw. For whatever reason she liked what she saw when I was laid plain and couldn't hide behind my pretenses."

~Slowly, like the drifting of continents~

~Truth is being set free.~

"She told me the truth... She had fallen in love with me. That last game, I could see, she played with pure desperation. She had to win, to get herself off of the streets. She wanted a home, a warm bed, clothes, everything that I more than take for granted. And yet, I saw her. Up at that winner's podium, in the spotlight, at the top... She was looking down at me. And I was actually crying." Ferny balled her gloved hands into fists, gritting her teeth as she considered what a fool she had been. "I had the nerve to cry... I made her feel bad for winning the happiness she deserves... And then I... I slapped her and sent her away. I said I couldn't work. It must be able to work. It has to work. She was willing to make it work..."

~Flip the cards.~

~Flip the cards.~

Ferny wiped her eyes and started to pull things from her suitcase. After a few of her dresses ended up on the floor she decided to go out and worry about the clothes later on. "I wish she'd told me where she was staying. I have no clue." Ferny made her way to the elevator and took it down to the lobby. She was going nowhere but out into the NeoVegas night, because she just had to leave and at least try to find her. "Maybe that spot we first met. She's probably there just thinking." But a whisper in the back of her mind reminded her that Capara was crushed. And that she could probably do something less than rational... Ferny's pace went from a quick walk to a full run.

~What are the odds?~

~One perfect pair.~

Ferny saw the streetlight from quite a distance, but couldn't tell if anyone was there. Until she got a little closer. Under the illumination of the streetlight like so many others stood the Kyrii she had come to admire and adore, the one who had taught her so much about life. "Capara!" Ferny shouted as soon as she was close enough to be heard. "Capara! Wait there!"

"Ferny?" Capara turned from her somewhat stiff position against the streetlight and turned to regard her. Surprised was written all over Capara's face, but it was also obvious that her eyes had been filled with tears.

"Capara please don't... Don't leave. I didn't mean it." Ferny finally arrived at the light, standing quite close to Capara, practically pressing against her.

"I'm sorry, Princess. But you said for me to go? What am I supposed to believe?"

"Believe this!" Ferny unashamedly took hold of Capara's hands, squeezing them lightly as their fingers intertwined.

"What..?" Capara looked down at the twined fingers, slowly bringing her hands up to really look, to make sure it wasn't just a dream.

"Believe that I..." Ferny drew Capara closer. Her eyes were locked with the Kyrii's. There was no mistake. It had to be true. Blue eyes and blue eyes, coming closer and closer. No more lying from either of them. She only knew the truth. "Believe that..." Nearer and nearer. Their bodies came so close that they ended up pressed together, front to front, at last only one last spot missing from contact... "Believe that I love you..." Their lips touched, Capara quivering, possibly because it was like she was living a dream and feared waking up. Ferny held tightly onto Capara's hands, drawing strength from the girl. She was deathly afraid of what she was doing, but knew that it was the truest thing she had ever done. Their lips remained together for a long while, both of them unwilling to end the first kiss. They both wished to savor it, and savor they did...

To be continued...

**_Together at last. The truth has set them free._**

_Ferny: So this is what it feels like to kiss..._

_Capara: This is what true love is like..._

_Ferny: It's so wonderful I can hardly believe it._

_Capara: I never want this moment to end._

_Ferny: I just want her here all the time._

_Capara: I'll never let her go._

_Capara and Ferny: This is a dream come true._

**_Next Episode: Washed away by the sea._**

_Ferny: Now we can both go home. Together._


	5. Washed away by the sea

How do you like it? As you can see I've switched from the "Cheat" games as a focus to their relationship in general as a focal point. I hope this doesn't throw anyone. I just figured that since Capara has won it's time to move on to the good stuff. Also, the internal dialogue is now shifted more to Ferny. Capara has had her say and now Ferny can talk all about her changing emotions. Also, this contains some very HEAVY contact between two females, but it stops just short of genitals being involved. A lot of nudity, some licking and stroking all above the waist. This was never meant to go in the Neopian times, after all.

Disclaimer: All characters, places, and whatnot belong to NeoPets.com, not me. I did the story and nothing but. Please don't hurt me or sue me, I am making no money off of this at all, I swear. I am making no copyright claims and am just using the characters for the purposes of fun and entertainment, not profit.

What do you think? Write to me at DeMachina@cs.com Flamers: I really don't think so. MSTers: Not a chance in hell. Regular comments: I encourage it strongly.

**Cheaters never... Never mind...**

Episode 5: Washed away by the sea

By: Gabriel

The streets at that time and that place were empty on that warm night. Which was, of course, more than perfect, because under a streetlight, no different from any of the others in the area, two girls softly kissed. Princess Fernypoo of Aquamarina and Capara the new Cheat Champion and Millionaire. Their fingers twined together, their bodies pressed against one another and their lips locked in a strong, passionate kiss. They had been locked together for barely a minute, but it seemed already that forever had been and gone.

In time, however, they did let their bodies separate their lips the last things to pull apart and quite hesitantly at that. For the longest moment neither one spoke, they simply stared into each other's eyes. Finally, Capara had to ask, "Are you sure this is what you want?"

"I've never been surer of anything in my life." Ferny replied, pressing herself up against Capara again, enjoying the warmth of the other girl. She'd felt it before, during their times out, but had never truly appreciated it.

"I can't believe it. This is a dream come true." Capara embraced Ferny tightly, thinking back over what she might have done had she not gone to their meeting place. The thought of a knife and her wrists, slashed to the bone crossed her mind. The idea was quickly pushed away. No need for that anymore. She had Ferny. The only one she knew she could actually love. "Then again, it's too perfect to be one of my dreams..." Capara gently ran a finger over the other girl's face, tracing the delicate features, over the bridge of her snout, along her cheeks, lightly tinged in a blush. Perfect. Like a doll that belonged behind a protective pane of glass.

"It must be a dream. I couldn't possibly end up this happy for real..." Ferny mirrored Capara's gentle facial caress, stroking over the Kyrii's snout and cheeks, gently caressing though the fur. It was slightly coarse, rather in need of conditioning. Ferny realized, however, that Capara probably couldn't afford such things. She had to live from meal to meal. The fur no longer seemed so bad. It had a unique texture, very rugged and strong. Much like Capara herself.

"So... What do we do now?" Capara asked after a few more silent moments of caressing Ferny's fur.

"I don't really know. Coming out here was a spur of the moment plan. I was hoping I'd see you but had no idea what I'd do afterwards."

"Would you like to come back to my motel? I think the crowd has thinned enough to allow me into the place."

"We could just skip the crowd and go back to my hotel. I need to do a little cleaning up. I kinda scattered all of my things around when I was thinking about you."

"I guess we both had a little trouble with control... Isn't it amazing how quickly life can go crazy? One minute you're in a routine and the next it's all changed."

"I suppose. But it's a nice change. I like the idea of having someone in my life who likes me for... well, just for me. Not money, not power, not fear or a desire for social climbing. Just me. I've never had that before. Never."

"To be honest... I've never loved anyone at all. I was raised too tough and too hard to fall in love. It leaves you open and vulnerable. People can hurt you if you're in love. The one you love can hurt you worst of all just by saying goodbye. It's not a weakness I thought I'd ever fall victim to. And then I met you and everything changed."

"Change is good. So very good... I see now that I was never anything more than a worthless society leech." The harsh words slipped freely from Ferny's lips. She felt no shame as she said them. Each syllable was like a weight dropped off of her. With the lies dissolved there was nothing but the honesty she'd always been taught to hide. "Not anymore, father. Not anymore..." She thought. Denial was the central sport of the royal court. If things failed, they never happened. What a tragic state.

"I wouldn't say worthless. You've developed a rather... unique personality. It's very attractive. Attractive... Strange. Since I never thought about love, I never thought about beauty. It's like... Growing close to you made me realize that, besides a beautiful soul, you have a beautiful body as well. I guess it's just how I am. I've always been closer to other girls, usually because I used to protect the weaker ones, before I got too jaded."

"I know what you mean. I was always too haughty to care about anyone else. And when I saw you I thought, "What a great looking pet! I think I'll go over and talk." I didn't say man, I didn't say woman. I said pet. I guess inside I always knew it didn't matter. As shocked as I was to hear you were a girl, I didn't last long on that. I was mad about the fact that you lied to me. But when it came down to your gender... I just realized it was fine."

Capara gently slid a hand up behind Ferny's head, rubbing at the point of meeting between head and neck. She slowly brought Ferny's head forward, placing it lightly against her chest, right over her heart. "I love you. Feel that heartbeat. It's so quick because my love is true. I'm so excited by this, all this promise..."

Ferny pressed her double ear to Capara's chest, listening to the quick pitter-patter of her heart. Ferny took one of Capara's hands and gently slid it to her chest, over her heart. "It's beating just as fast as yours is, for the same reason..."

They stood there for a long while, listening to their heartbeats race in excitement. Finally they detached from each other and went off in the direction of Ferny's hotel.

"Not a very good way to treat such expensive dresses..." Capara commented with a grin as she gathered up an armload of Ferny's dresses from the floor.

"I didn't really think about it. You should have seen them before. They were all just smashed into the suitcase, rolling around and looking a total mess. Mostly because I didn't want to finish packing. If I couldn't pack then I couldn't leave. Not exactly mature but I wasn't really thinking about what I was doing."

The two packed in silence, Capara carefully folding the dresses as Ferny had shown her, and Ferny placing them neatly into the large suitcase, eventually ending up with a very neat and tidy packing job.

"Looks good, Ferny. And the packing is nice and neat as well." Capara chuckled at her own joke. Ferny had gained a slightly disheveled look, hair out of place, fur mussed, and her gloves, for once, off.

"Well, thanks. You helped that out a lot." She considered for a beat. "Do you want to stay here for the night? I mean, you said your motel is mobbed and I've got this huge bed..."

"I wouldn't want to inconvenience you..."

"It wouldn't be any trouble. Trust me. After so long alone in huge beds it'll be nice to know someone is there."

"I suppose. But in your bed? Wouldn't that be a little too close for our first time in bed?" Capara regretted the statement the second it had passed her lips. The double-enterndre did not go unnoticed by either girl. Silence hung thickly in the air, almost a chokingly tangible presence.

"I don't think so. I think it would be wonderful to be that close to someone. Sharing warmth. Tenderness. Closeness..."

"I see what you mean..." Capara tossed off her leather jacket, leaving her in a white t-shirt and her jeans. "I hope you don't mind if I wear these to bed. I mean..."

Ferny's soft kiss cut off further speech. She was quivering on the inside. Asserting her independence with a vengeance. She would do her own thing and not be ashamed at all. "Life must be lived. Otherwise I'll become the little Acara sitting inside because it was always too dangerous to play in the kelp fields." She cringed at the thought. What a poor excuse for a childhood.

Capara melted into the tender kiss, her hands drifting down to undo the button and zipper on her jeans. And they went down, revealing a pair of boxer shorts with flame designs on them. After that she stepped up close to Ferny, arms wrapping around her.

The kiss was soon broken and Ferny stepped back, blushing deeply. "Would you... unzip me?" She turned around and revealed the back of her dress to Capara. A gentle shiver ran down her spine as Capara's gentle hands gripped the zipper and pulled it down. The soft whisper of the zipper filled the room, and a delicate pink slip came into view. The dress dropped into a pool of fabric, leaving Ferny dressed in her slip. She looked so vulnerable. Mussed fur and hair, no gloves, no dress. She looked like an average girl. Only more radiantly beautiful than anyone Capara had ever seen.

"I can't help but wonder what I did to deserve something this good." Capara slid herself under the covers of the huge bed, settling in comfortably. The sound of whispering silk drew her attention to Ferny, and what she saw made her jaw drop in shock. Ferny had let the slip drop to the floor, leaving her in a simple pair of panties and a bra. That bra did not remain on, however, and Ferny was then almost totally revealed, a giant blush tinting her cheeks and muzzle.

"You fell in love with me. That's more than enough..." Ferny pulled back the sheets and got into bed, slowly scooting her way over to Capara. "I think we should... share a few things tonight." Ferny whispered to Capara, barely a breath against the other girl's ear. Her hands clutched at Capara's shirt, tugging it slowly upwards. Capara's hands landed on Ferny's and helped them along, until the shirt was up and over Capara's head.

"Anything you want, Princess. Anything at all." Capara whispered back, kisses landing on Ferny's double ear as soon as she had spoken. The kisses moved down slowly, over her cheeks and neck, moving towards a most tender spot indeed. Capara's lips slowly wrapped around Ferny's right nipple, her tongue gently caressing the tender nubbin. Her hands roamed gently over the small of Ferny's back, while Ferny's did the same to her. Neither one knew what they were doing, but felt confident that they could make it up as they went along.

"Capara..." Ferny whispered, her eyes shut tight and tremors of pleasure running through her body. "Why not share it all..?" The question echoed through the long, long night. And no one but the two girls there knew if it was ever answered...

"How long is this trip going to take? It feels like we've been on this bus forever." Capara shifted uncomfortably in her seat, looking out the window at the scrubland they were passing though.

"It's only been an hour. Don't worry, it's only about five more until we reach the ocean. Then we'll have private transportation home. That reminds me, do you want to send anyone to get your things?"

"What things? All I've got in my apartment are a mattress, a blanket, a deck of marked cards and a jar of honey."

"A jar of honey?"

"I have a sweet tooth."

"You're sweet all over." Ferny smiled a little bit, a deep blush tinting her muzzle. Their secret would be held forever by the night and the blushes they bear, for who can tell how far they were willing to go?

"Ferny... Not with all these people around..." Capara glanced quickly around, nervously checking to see if anyone was watching. But everyone was either sleeping or watching the free in-ride movie.

"You're... afraid? My my, one night with me and suddenly you've changed..."

"So have you. Looks like we switched personalities sometime between bedtime and breakfast."

Ferny snuggled warmly against Capara, hugging the other girl's arm. "What a night. How quickly it all changed."

Capara smiled a little and nodded. "Yea. And what a change... I hope it's alright that you're bringing me to Aquamarina. What will everyone think?"

"They'll think I'm being courteous to a new rich person and champion. According to royal protocol I have to be nice to everyone with status and money, so I can sponge off of them in the future. It's what daddy does and now I have to do it too."

"Ick, he sounds like a leech. No offense."

"Trust me, people say worse. I just ignored them before."

"So how will we actually get there? It's really deep underwater. And I'm not exactly good with water."

"My private chauffeur will pick us up at the marina and take us to the royal palace. You'll like him. He's a nice Peophin I've known all my life. He's one of the only friends I have down there."

"Sounds like you really aren't the snob I thought you were."

"There's a lot more to me than you realize. And we can talk all about it for the next five hours." Ferny grinned a bit. "You talked all about yourself on our dates, now it's my turn."

"This is gonna be one heck of a trip..."

"Ahhh, Miss Ferny. Welcome." After the long bus trip from Neo Vegas to the west coast of the central Neopian Continent Capara was feeling cramped but enlightened. She stumbled off the bus to claim the luggage while Ferny went to meet with her chauffeur. He was indeed a Peophin. A blue one dressed smartly in a suit. And he was even wearing the hat. Too classic.

"Hello there William. Good to see you again. I hope daddy isn't too mad about be staying over an extra amount of time."

"Not at all. He was rather overjoyed to learn that you were bringing the new champion with you. I think he just wants to sink his claws into the money, but that's nothing to repeat."

"I thought so... Oh! Capara! Meet William, a wonderful driver and friend."

"Pleased to meetcha, Will. If I could see ya I'd be even more pleased." Capara replied from behind a stack of cases and packages.

"Allow me..." William took a number of the packages from the top of the stack, Allowing Capara to see without obstruction.

"Thanks. Nice to meet you. For the second time."

"Shall we go? The sooner we leave the sooner we'll be home." Ferny lightly pushed Capara towards the waiting car, a black stretch limo.

"Good idea. It'll be nice to relax on some real furniture, that doesn't move. Say, how long is the trip down there?"

"About an hour, give or take."

"Somehow, it figures..."

"Don't be alarmed by the fact that there are guards wandering around. As much as I hate it, we do need protection. They're just other Acaras with spears, nothing to be afraid of."

"Right. See if you say that after I become a shish kebob." Capara shifted in her seat again, more out of habit than need. She was seated in a very plush and cushy chair, that appeared to be down and velvet. It made sense, she was in Ferny's personal Royal transport vessel, and apparently no expense was spared for anything.

"That won't happen... I don't think. Anyway, just be nice and friendly and everything will be fine."

"I'm not some lawless punk you know. I look like one but I'm not one."

"Just who used to make their money cheating at cards?"

"That was a long time ago."

"You told me you did it when we first met."

"Ok, ok, so I have my little... personality quirks. But I can pretend to be civil."

"Pretended civility is all that is asked of everyone. That's about all most people can manage."

"A lot of pretending, huh? Guess I'll fit in."

"Miss Ferny, we're approaching the luminescent kelp beds. Just out the starboard viewing window. I think your girlf... guest would like to see them."

"Ferny..?"

"Good perception. Don't worry, he won't say a word."

"When did *I* become obvious?"

"I think it was when you first touched me without deception."

"That's right. I've turned into a "normal" pet..."

"Well now, I wouldn't exactly say normal. Maybe above average."

"Thanks a bunch for that..." Capara said, taking a glance out the window. Outside was a huge field of flowing, glowing plants. It looked like the neon lights of Neo Vegas, only more lovely because of it's organicness. With no premade patterns it was a dynamic, surprising sight. "Wow..."

"That's the way most visitors react when they see that for the first time. It is a lovely sight. Carefully tended to beautify the area and to benefit the citizenry. It's always nice to live somewhere beautiful."

"Kinda like Neo Vegas without all the casinos."

"We wouldn't have any interest. As a whole we don't have very adventurous citizens. I'm hoping to change that when I become queen, but I won't be able to if I am forced into a marriage of convenience. Then I might have to abdicate."

"Why would you have to marry?"

"Because daddy would make me."

"From what I've heard your father is not a very nice guy."

"He is... decent, as fathers go. He just learned everything about ruling from Grandfather, who was, unfortunately, a terrible king."

"That explains a lot. I hope this won't be a very uncomfortable meeting."

"Just be polite. Since you're rich you'll have an easy time fitting in. A lot will be overlooked."

"Your confidence in my ability to scam these people is underwhealming."

"Sorry Cappie..."

"It's ok. I guess I'm just... Wait a sec... "Cappie?" When did we get to that point?"

"There's no one here to hear us."

"What about the driver?"

"There's no one here to hear us who would care."

"Oh... Still, I don't recall us reaching a pet name point."

"It's something I decided when we started heading down. You know, we might not get much freedom of movement down there."

"I figured that as soon as you started talking about spear-wielding Acaras under your father's command."

"Relax. Everything will be fine."

"Famous last words..." Was the last thing Capara would say as she stared out the window again, watching as clear domes came into view, holding groups of well-constructed buildings. They looked rather plain, and were probably for the lower classes of Aquamarina. Then came larger, more opulent places, obviously made for those higher in standing.

"We're about to enter the Palace dome. I'll take your bags to your room."

"One room?" Ferny asked.

"Your tutor, Professor Scaleside, managed to get Capara placed in your room."

"Oh that was very nice of... Wait a moment. How did she..?"

"She's known you all your life. She knew what you would want."

"That was very nice."

"Is it just me or has this whole "Secret" thing been completely lost?" Capara asked, looking a tad uncomfortable.

"It's not your fault. These pets have known me all my life."

"Wait a sec. What about your father..?"

"He will be oblivious. He doesn't really know me."

"I hope you're right..."

The vessel docked just inside the Palace's dome and was shuttled inside past several airlocks. Eventually the hatch opened up into a dry, very expensive looking docking station. It looked very like a Victorian hall, a look which was obviously hell and a half to maintain. Ferny stepped out first, acting regal and refined. She flowed down the stairs and out to a group of armed Acaras. Capara followed behind her, hesitant and shivering. It didn't help her much when the group of Acaras parted to allow passage for a very unfriendly looking one. He was large, both tall and fat, dressed in a well-tailored suit. A purple cape trailed behind him, and a huge crown rested on his head. His face was indented by a very unfriendly scowl, and it was aimed directly at Capara.

"Cappie, I want you to meet daddy."

To be continued...

**_Now things are going to get complicated._**

Ferny: Finally!

Capara: Oh dang...

Ferny: Home sweet home.

Capara: That is one mean, ugly looking guy.

Ferny: Everything's going to be alright.

Capara: And he's looking quite unfriendly, right at me.

Ferny: We're going to enjoy ourselves.

Capara: He's going to kill me.

Capara and Ferny: I can't wait to see what happens.

**Next episode: One step closer to heaven.**

Capara: I can kiss my pelt bye-bye.


End file.
